Anthropogenic habitat transformations involving changes in hydrologic conditions in the peatlands of eastern Poland contribute to the disappearance of sites of numerous relict plant species. The study aimed to verify whether sites chosen for the reintroduction of the endangered species Salix lapponum had been well selected by analyzing selected habitat parameters and determining whether changes in their values may in the long term have a significant impact on the functioning of new populations of the species. The results obtained at sites where the S. lapponum population was replenished with new individuals were analyzed in relation to data from one of the natural sites of the species. Hydrochemical characterization of the groundwater at the study sites confirmed that there was no significant influx of nutrients into the habitat or other hydrological disturbances due to human activity. The values obtained for the factors tested were within the limits of the specific preferences of the species. Changes in the values of some physical-chemical parameters of the water were due to the ecosystem’s internal metabolism, and the site with the highest hydrochemical stability was the one where S. lapponum occurred naturally. The species composition and structure of the phytocoenoses at all study sites were characteristic of natural sites of the species and showed no disturbances caused by human impact. The microbiological analyses indicated normal soil processes. The hydrochemical and biocoenotic stability of the habitat, including the microbiological balance of the soil, which was free of pathogenic fungi, should have a positive effect on the condition of the reintroduced plants.
Restoring endangered plant species to their historical sites is not always possible due to constantly changing habitat conditions. The aim of this study was to test the effects of reintroduction of two relict willow species in eastern Poland. The experiment consisted of planting 48 individuals of Salix lapponum and S. myrtilloides, obtained by micropropagation, at each of the two selected sites and observing their survival after one year. At the same time, selected physicochemical and biocenotic factors of the environment were monitored. About 70% of S. lapponum individuals and 50% of S. myrtilloides plants survived the one-year period. This result can be considered satisfactory and confirms the effectiveness of this means of active protection. The results of measurements of selected abiotic factors of the environment and the observations and ecological analysis of the flora indicated that the habitat conditions of both historical sites have changed, resulting in accelerated succession of vegetation. However, complete habitat degradation did not occur, although the development of a multi-story structure of one of the phytocenoses intensified competition for light and other environmental resources, which narrowed the potential ecological niche of the reintroduced species.
The selection of appropriate locations for the reintroduction of endangered plant species is an important process, because it usually influences the success of the conservation. The aim of this study was to select the optimal substitute habitats for Aldrovanda vesiculosa, taking into account the influence of physical–chemical factors (light intensity, temperature, pH, concentration of dissolved forms of nitrogen and cyanobacterial toxin microcystin-LR) on the efficiency of plant growth. Water analysis and field observations of the habitats of six lakes in Eastern Poland typified as potential substitute habitats for aldrovanda were carried out. The results of the experiments showed that both the concentration and the form in which nitrogen compounds are present in the environment were the factors limiting the growth rate and condition of plants. The second factor that caused the inhibition of aldrovanda growth was microcystin-LR. It was found that the habitat conditions in Lake Brzeziczno were within the ecological tolerance of the species. Particularly important was the low content of mineral compounds and the available forms of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. Therefore, the probability of development of toxic cyanobacteria, the metabolites of which may affect the growth of A. vesiculosa, is also minimal.
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